Vitamin D: The Tonto to Calcium's Lone Ranger

There’s new evidence that 800 IU’s of vitamin D daily—with or without that calcium—would reduce the risk for both falls and fractures at an older age.

Being deficient in vitamin D, as well as phosphate, appear to limit our body’s ability to absorb the calcium we are taking. And, in terms of phosphate levels, calcium citrate can reduce the phosphate absorption needed to build calcium into the bone, so we have to be savvy about what kind of calcium is in the preparation we’re using.

Additionally, many of the drugs people take for osteoporosis can actually make things worse! Fosamax, Boniva, and Actonel, (basically all biophosphates) may increase bone density, but they do it by destroying the osteoclasts in your bone, so all you have left is osteoblasts. Osteoclasts tear down bone, while osteoblasts build it up, but osteoclasts are an important part of the natural bone regeneration process. With lone osteoclasts you’ll have denser bones, but they’ll be weaker! Again, so much for big pharma!

The bottom line: less IS more when it comes to calcium! Taking too much to prevent osteoporosis may put your body out of balance and lead to deficiencies in other minerals that, in turn, can put you at risk for a host of other diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypothyroidism, kidney stones, osteoarthritis, and gallstones.
Looking Forward

New research suggests that there is something we can do as mothers and grandmothers to build stronger bones in our kids. A recent study showed that a higher metaquinone 7 (vitamin K2) supplement intake improves osteocalcin in children. So, we may be hearing more about how to maximize bone strength in childhood to prevent osteoporosis in adulthood.

We are blessed with three granddaughters, so we’ll be following that story and keeping you posted!

Meet Dr. Sinatra

Dr. Stephen Sinatra is a highly respected and sought-after cardiologist and nutritionist with more than 30 years of clinical practice, research, and study. His integrative approach to heart health focuses on reducing inflammation in the body and maximizing the heart's ability to produce and use energy. More About Dr. Sinatra

Free E-News

Dr. Sinatra is proud to be part of the Healthy Directions Family

A Higher Standard

When it comes to your health, we hold ourselves accountable to a higher standard. We focus on delivering premium guidance, products and services without compromise. Our doctor-developed formulas, Triple-Testing Philosophy™ and pioneering industry leadership have earned us a 20-year track record of delivering incomparable safety, quality and service. We're proud to be known as the #1 provider of doctor-formulated nutritional supplements and will continue striving to meet your high expectations.

Our Quality Promise

You can always be sure that every single formula has met stringent requirements for both potency and purity—and that we've gone through dozens of quality and safety checks at every point, from raw ingredients to the finished product.